Healthy Oil Choices You Won’t Regret (PLUS 2 ways to use MCT OIL)

KEEPING OILS HEALTHY

When practicing the Keto diet, you will find yourself with more types and variations of oils than you may have thought possible! These oils will help you reach your daily fat macros, achieve and maintain ketosis, and reach your overall keto diet goals. Because you are most likely new to having so many types and variations of oils in your pantry, it’s important to have a good knowledge base (or a resource) for storage, cooking temperatures, and average shelf life.

It can be INCREDIBLY easy to become overwhelmed when shopping for oils. With so many options, it’s hard to know what is worth buying, and what isn’t. In this post, you will learn about storage of oils, signs of a quality product, and smoking points. We will also look at which oils to avoid on the Keto Diet, and discover why MCT oils are a MUST!

Storage

A high-quality oil will need to be kept away from light and heat to keep it from turning rancid. For this reason, you will want to choose a bottle of oil that is in a tin, or dark glass, which keeps out light. Once your oil turns rancid, it releases free radicals, which are very unhealthy for you and your body.

Some oils are VERY easily prone to going rancid. These include: Avocado, grapeseed, hazelnut, truffle, and walnut oils. You may want to consider storing these in the refrigerator after opening.

Olive oil need to be kept away from light and heat as well. Since you will be using large amounts of it in your Keto Diet, you may decide to purchase larger quantities. If this is the case, keep only about 2 weeks worth of supply stored in a cool, dark place, and consider storing the remainder in the refrigerator. The ideal storage temperature for Olive Oil is 57 degrees.

Be sure to keep your oil away from oxygen (oxidation causes loss of taste), away from the stove, and away from direct sunlight.

Choosing Quality

Along with packaging, there are a few other ways to choose a high-quality oil. When given the option, be sure to choose extra virgin, unrefined oils. These options are unprocessed and will still include all of the important nutrients you are looking for. Also, if a label says “expeller-pressed” or “cold-pressed” – choose these. If a product isn’t pressed in those two ways, it is processed through chemical extraction, which is not healthy.

It’s very important that your oils aren’t sitting in a warehouse for long periods of time before they make it to the store shelf. Even the highest quality ingredients will turn rancid after time. If it’s available, chose a product that was manufactured recently. Also, you will want to make sure that your oils are using only the highest quality ingredients. Low-quality ingredients can hurt your diet, instead of aid it, as your oil may contain fillers or rancid product.

Smoking Points

Different oils are better for different types of cooking and ingestion. The higher an oil’s smoke point, the higher temperature it can be cooked at. Once an oil is heated past it’s smoke point, it will begin to degrade and break down. This causes the oil to be come carcinogenic, release free radicals, and trigger inflammation in the body. Obviously, you will want to avoid this.

Low Smoke Point

Oils with a low smoke point should be used for, at most, to simmer sauces and vegetables. These Oils are also great for salad dressings and to be used in baking.Examples: Olive Oil and Butter

High Smoke Point

High Smoke Point oils are great to use for sauteing, baking and even deep frying.Examples: Ghee, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil

If you have the five oils listed above, you are off to a good start. Don’t skimp on any of these oils, as they contain high levels of MCT oil , and will all be a staple of your Keto Diet. Check out the 10 Benefits of Using MCT Oil to continue your Keto Journey!

Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT), or medium-chain fatty acids, are a class of saturated fat that contains fatty acids. Many oils, like coconut and palm kernel oils, contain mct oil. MCT Oils can be added to the oils we have discussed here today, to help enable your body’s production of ketones. Medium-chain triglycerides produce ketones more easily than long-chain triglycerides. You don’t need to understand the complicated science behind this, it’s just one of those ‘accept and move on” parts of the ketogenic diet. What it means for the Keto Diet is that less overall fat is needed to achieve a state of ketosis.